Washington, DC - Tuesday, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined Senators from states impacted by Hurricane Sandy in calling on President Obama to amend his 2013 budget to request emergency aid for federal disaster assistance programs. The Senators called on the President to take quick action so the necessary funds can be appropriated to help victims of Sandy rebuild and recover. The Senators also requested an increased federal share for recovery costs.
Blumenthal was joined by Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
“As Senators representing states impacted by Superstorm Sandy, we are writing to request that the Administration submit a budget amendment pursuant to the Budget Control Act to provide the necessary funding to robustly support vital federal programs to rebuild our communities and meet the needs of victims of Sandy and other recent disasters. It is critical that this budget amendment be submitted as soon as possible so critical resources can reach impacted communities by the end of the calendar year,” the Senators wrote.
The Senators continued, “Millions of people along the East Coast were impacted by Superstorm Sandy, which caused extensive damage to public infrastructure, private property and business. Given the enormity of the storm and the fact that state and local governments are already facing tight budgets, we ask that you consider increasing the federal share for Public Assistance for affected states and calculate such adjustments into your request to ensure that combined federal and non-federal funds are sufficient for a full recovery.”
